The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission charged former Chief of Staff to Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Saidu with money laundering before the Federal High Court in the state on Tuesday.
According to the charge sheet, Saidu, who also served as Commissioner of Finance in Kaduna State, allegedly accepted a cash payment of N155,000,000 from one Ibrahim Muktar, a public officer in the Ministry of Finance, exceeding the amount authorized by law.
The ICPC alleged that the transaction took place in March 2022 and that Saidu received the cash through his Special Assistant, Muazu Abdu.
According to charge No FHC/KD/IC/2025, the defendants are being accused of two charges of Money Laundering, contrary to an earlier claim that Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Saidu had been exonerated of all charges after 10 months of investigation.
The court document stated that sometime in March 2022 or thereabouts, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Saidu, who at that time Commissioner of Finance, “did accept cash payment of the sum of N155,000,000.00 from one Ibrahim Muktar exceeding the amount authorised by law, which sum you received in cash through the proxy to wit: Muazu Abdu, your Special Assistant and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section2(a) and punishable under the Section 19(d) of the Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.’’
The ICPC further alleged that in the same March 2022 or thereabouts, the former commissioner “indirectly took control of the sum of N155,000,000.00 received in cash for and on behalf of you by one Muazu Abdul from Ibrahim Muktar, which fund you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity to wit: corruption and you hereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.’’
“Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 states that ‘’any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection(2) is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than four years but not more than fourteen years or a fine not less than five times the value of the proceeds of the crime or both.’’
The charge, which was signed by the Assistant Chief Legal Officer of ICPC, Dr Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha, was filed on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
Saidu was being investigated for allegedly laundering N3.96 billion and misappropriating N244 million during his tenure in the Kaduna State government.
The Kaduna State House of Assembly had also indicted El-Rufai’s government for allegedly syphoning state government funds to the tune of over N423 billion.
